Knitting-machine needle.



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HOWARD W. HARLEY, OF-PHILADEIAHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T KATE HARLEY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNITTING-MACHINE NEEDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratentediuay as, isis.

Application led Qctober 4, 1915. Serial No. 53,937.

To all whom it mayconcem:

Be it known that I, HOWARD W. HARLEY, a citizen ofthe United' States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented bent laterally so as to contact with the opposite walls of the needle groove, as shown in Fig. 9, and thus constitute a spring retainer for preventing accidental longitu-v dinal movement of the needle in its groove when the butt 6 is free from the--influence of the cams or other devices which normally act upon the saine to effect reciprocation of the needle, such spring member 7 also serving to maintain the shank of the needle in reciprocation of the stem or shank of the needle in the corresponding groove of the needle cylinder or other needle carrier. This object l attain by so constructing the 15 needle that the stem'or shank of the same will, during its. reciprocating movement, be caused to occupy a central position in said groove and will be prevented from coming in forcible contact with either of the wallsK projecting` butt 6 for the action of the cams whereby the reciprocation of the needle is effected, and having behind it a recess for vthe reception of the upturned end 71of the @c shank which is reduced in thickness and mid position in the groove of the needle carrier, as shown in Fig. 9.

The needle sliownin Fig. 2 is of that type which is punched from sheet metal instead of being formed from bent wire, and it is similar in general construction to that shown in Fig. 1, except that the stem 5 does not extend below tlie butt 6, a rearwardly projecting tongue 6a being in line with the butts 6 of the `needles and being soldered or otherwise secured. thereto, and each shoe having opposite tapering sides so as to limit the'area of contact of the shoes to points 2@ of the same, thus preventing wearing away latter and this tongue having fingers 7 "1, one 75 of the shank of the needle or the bending projecting upwardly and vlone downwardly or wearing away of the walls of the groove therefrom, and these fingers being bent latin which it reciprocates. erally so as to bear upon opposite walls of In the accompanying drawings- Figures the needle groove, as shown in Fig. 10.

Z land 2 are side elevations of knitting ma# As shown in Fig. 9, the spring finger 7 80 chine needles constructed in accordance has four bends therein so as to b ear upon with my invention, these views also showboth walls of the needle groove, both above ing in section part of the grooved needle and below the line of the butt 6, while the carrier of the machine; Fig. 3 is a section fingers 7 a have but single bends therein so S@ on the line a-a, Fig. 1, showing a number that one bears upon one wall and the other of needles disposed side by side in correupon the opposite wall of the needle groove, sponding grooves of the needle carrier; Fig. although, if desired, each of said fingers 7 a 4 is a similar section on the line b-b, Fig. may have a double bend therein similar to 2; Figs. 5 and 6 are similar sections illusthat of the finger 7.

S5 trating certain modifications of one of the ln order to prevent the' lateral thrust of 90 features of my invention; Figs. 7 and 8 are the cams whichac't upon the butts 6 of the front views, respectively, of Figs. 5 and 6; needles from twisting the Shanks of the neel Fig. 9 isa section, on the line o o, Fig. 3, dles or pressing them forwardly in their illustrating one of the needles there shown grooves so as to contact forcibly with the 4@ and its flanking walls Fig. 10 is a similar forward walls of the latter, I provide each 95 section on vthe line iL-cl, Fig. 4, and Fig. 11 of said butts with a laterally projecting conis a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing both tact member or members so as to prevent upper and lower contact members of the sidewise displacement of any of the needle butts similar to the single contact member Shanks l in their grooves, such contact mein- 45 illustrated in Fig. 4. Y bers being tapered from their outer to their 100 The needle shown in Fig. l of the drawinner ends in order to reduce the area of ing is an ordinary type of latch needle comfrictional contact presented thereby. v posed of wire bent at the three points 2, 3 In the case of a needle such as shown in and 4, so as to form at the base of the shank Fig. l, thecontact members may consist of 50 an o'set stem 5 having upon it a forwardly slices 8 (Fig. 3) these shoes embracing the 105 at and ,near the outer ends of the butts 6. no

.instancel projected outwardly from the buttsv .6 ybut were afterwardbent'around to one sideofthe same, as shown in Figs; 2 and 9, the contact member thus produced bearing at its point of greatest projection against the butt of the'adjoi'ning needle or against the root of the finger whereby the contact member of that needle was produced. l

In the needle shown in Figs. 'and 7 the` finger which projected beyond the buttwas split horizontally preparatory to being bent,

the upper member 9? of said finger being ,thenbent aroundlon` one side of the needle j .butt 6 and the lower memberk 9b being bent around ontheopposite side of said butt, as

i 4shown in Fig. the directionsof the bends being reversed onvalternate needles so that tlieupper `and vlowermembers 9l and 9",

l.of yeach needle contact with corresp'ondingf", j

lthe butt Y andY another `laterally `bent V'and elastic portion contacting with the opposite members lof the adjoining'needle, as shown are all alike, but in which both the upper'.A

and lower contact members project laterally' to such an extent that each will contact with l the kbutt of an adjoining needle,l as in Fig. 4^: l g lInstead of formingv the. contact members by means of tongues'A bent laterallyalon'gsidef j' of the needle.l butt, such contact membersmay be formed by means of tongues` which 4normally projectedvertically from the butt and .were afterward turned vertically up or vdown alongside ofthe same, as shown for instance at lOand l0b inFigs. 6 and 8.

The contact members are, by preference,

in all cases tapered from their 'o uter to their l innerportions so las to reduce the area of contact. I claim:`.- j

1.-A knitting machine needle having a projecting butt for the action of the operating cams, and a retaining member inthe.l

rear of saidv butt', said retaining member having a laterally bent and elastic portioncontacting with one wall of the needle groove 4above the line of the butt and' anotherlaterally bent` and elastic portion contacting with the opposite wall of the needle groove below the line of the butt.

2. A'knitting machine needle having a i vprojecting butt for the action of the operatf. ing cams, and a retaining member in` the rear of said butt, said retaining member having, bothfabove andibelow the line of the butt, a finger laterallybent in opposite directions andV presenting two elastic portions, one vbearing upon one wallof the needle groove and the other vupon theopposite wall of the same.

Aand having a laterally bent and elastic p01*-,

tion contacting" with one wall of the needle grooveabove the line of the butt and an other laterally bent and elastic portion contacting withthe opposite wall of the needle 'groove below the -line of the butt.

4. A knitting machine needle having a shank with projecting butt thereon for the action of the operating cams, and a retaining member integral with said shank and havlng, both i above and below Vthe line of the butt, a finger laterally bent in opposite directions and prev senting elastic portions bearing upon the opposite walls of the needle groove. v y

5. A knitting machine needle having a shank with forwardly ofset portion atfits lower end carrying a forwardly projecting `needle butt, land a retaining member Adisposed in said offset and having a laterally bent and elastic portion'contacting with Aone wall of the needle groove above the line of wall of the needle groove below theline of the butt.- l

6. A Vknitting machine needle having a shank with forwardly offset "portionin its lower end carrying a forwardly projecting needle butt, 'and la retaining member disposed in said offset and having, both above 1and below the line of the butt, a lfinger later-y ally bent in opposite directions'and presenting elastic members, one contacting with one A wall and the other with the opposite wall of theneedle groove.

l `'7..A knitting machine needle having a shank with forwardly oli'set portion at the lower end carrying a forwardly projecting jbutt, yand a retainingmember ldis osed in vsaid offset. and integral withthe yo set por- `t1on of the shank, said retaining member having a laterally `bent and elastic portion contacting with one wall of the needle groove above the line of the butt, and another laterally bentand elastic portion contacting with the opposite wall' of the needle 'groove below'the line of the butt.

. 8. `A knitting machine needle Vhaving a shank with forwardly offset portion at the lower end carrying a vforwardly projecting butt, and aretaining member disposed in said offset and integral with the offset portion of the shank, said retaining member having, both above and belowthe line of the butt, a linger laterally bentin opposite di- 're'ctionsand presenting elastic portions, one bearlng upon one wall-and the other upon thevopposlte wall of the needle groove.

9. The combination of a knitting machine needle having a shank with projecting-butt, and a member carried by said butt and proa -jecting laterally 'therefrom sov as to contact withpart thebutt of an adjoining needle 1n the mac c e, said contact member-having 1ts pomt of greatest ,lateral projection at, and

` maman nearjthe outer end of the butt and decreasr ing 1n the extentof such projection toward the baseof the butt.

shank with projecting butt thereon,'and a ,laterally bent member integral with said butt and projecting laterally therefrom so as lto contact'with part of the butt of an adjoining needle'in the machine, said contact member "having, its pointof greatest lateral projection at and near the outer end of the butt'and decreasing in the extentof such projection'toward the base of lthe butt.

11. A knitting machine needle havinga4 shank :with projecting butt thereon', and a pair of laterally bent members'integral with said buttone projecting on one side and the .other on the oppositeside'of the latter, and

each serving to contact with part'of the butt of an adjoining needle in the machine, each of said contactl members having its point of greatest lateral projection at and near the outer end of the butt and decreasing in the extent'of such projection toward the base of 12. A knitting machine needle having a shank with projecting butt thereon, and a member integral with said butt andl bent alongside of the same so as to contact with outer lportion of the butt toward the base of the same..

' 13. A knitting machine needle havlng a shank Withprojecting butti thereon, and upper and lower members integral with 4said l butt and one bent to one side and the other 10.`:Akn1,tt1ng machine needle having a" to the opposite side of the same so as to contact with part of the butt of an adjoining needle in the machine, each of said contact members being reduced in thickness at and near the base of the butt.

141. A knitting machine needle having a shank with projecting butt thereon, and upper and'lower members integral with said butt and one bent to one side and the other tothe opposite side of the same so as to contact with part of the butt of an adjoining needle in the machine, each of said contact members being tapered in thickness from the outer end of the butt to the base of the same. v

15. The combination, in a knitting machine, of'a series of needles each having a shank with projecting butt, and'each butt having upper and lower laterally bent fingers integral therewith and disposed one on one side and the other on the opposite side of the butt, said needles being so disposed that the upper and lower members will contact-with 4like members of adjoining needles.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speciiication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HOWARD vv. HARLEY.

Witnesses:

KATE A. BEADLE, HAMILTON D. TURNER. 

